Strengthening Faith through Action

Taco Truck At Every Mosque

By Ma’ruf | Dec 1, 2017

Using the humble food truck as a draw, Milwaukee area Muslim and Latino leaders will bring two communities together to lobby for a common cause. Feliz Ramadan will be held this Wednesday and comes at a time when both communities face escalating discrimination and legislation that curtails civil liberties.

Last year, during an interview with MSNBC, Marco Gutierrez, co-founder of the Latinos for Trump remarked that if Clinton became president there would be “taco trucks on every corner.” Widespread ridicule by commentators and on social media turned the ubiquitous concession stand into a political statement, thereby inspiring the Halal Taco Truck. A fusion of the Halal cart and the Taco Truck, the truck combines cultural symbols that flank streets of cities across America.

The event which is organized by Ma’ruf Milwaukee, a humanitarian organization that galvanizes young Muslims to work for social causes, and Voces De La Frontera, a nonprofit that focuses on protecting civil rights for low-wage workers, will be held at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee (ISM), southeastern Wisconsin’s largest mosque.

“Through this event, we hope to band together and work for each others’ causes,” said Aamer Ahmed, President of Ma’ruf Milwaukee. “The specific areas of legislation may be different, whether protecting sanctuary cities or lifting the so-called travel ban, but we’re both dealing with a fear of immigrants.”

“In the face of discriminatory, anti-immigrant state legislation like AB190/SB275 and Trump’s efforts to impose racist travel bans and turn local government into a arm of mass deportation, the Muslim and Latino immigrant community have come together to advance positive change and celebrate our diverse cultures,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera.

The event falls during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. Feliz Ramadan is expected to attract hundreds of attendees. Similar to Kosher, Halal refers to dietary practices that many area Muslims uphold.

Feliz Ramadan will begin with a discussion at 7:30 pm followed by dinner at 8:30 pm when Muslims break fast. The Halal Taco Truck will be located at the rear parking lot of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee (ISM), located at 4707 South 13th Street. Attendees are encouraged to use the hashtag #tacotrucksateverymosque on social media.